Star Trek: The Next Generation 6.14

Face of the Enemy

Counselor Troi wakes up on the Romulan Warbird Khazara. She was captured while attending a conference and surgically altered to appear like a Romulan. She is now Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar, a Romulan intelligence service. All this is explained to her by Sub-Commander N'Vek a member of the Romulan resistance who needs her help to get three high level members of the Romulan resistance to safety.

Troi doesn't like it but she goes along with N'Vek. She plays the cards she has been dealt and for a time is able get the captain of the Khazara, Commander Toreth, to listen to her and follow her instructions. Toreth, as a member of the Romulan military, bristles at having to take orders from the Romulan secret police.

Toreth eventually decides that she's had enough of Rakal's orders and reasserts authority over her ship. She is getting ready to destroy the Enterprise when Troi escapes back to the Enterprise along with the three high level members of the Romulan resistance.

Thoughts

Scott McDonald played the part of N'Vek. He also played the part of Tosk in Deep Space Nine 1.05 (Captive Pursuit).

Carolyn Seymour plated the part of Toreth. She was also in two other episodes of TNG but played different characters in both of those episodes, one of whom was also a Romulan. I have seen one of those episodes, 4.15 (First Contact).

There is a b plot in this episode that involves a human who previously defected to the Romulan side but has recently returned. He is transported aboard the Enterprise. He is at first treated like a traitor but later in the episode he is on the bridge helping Captain Picard and Commander Riker decide how to deal with the situation.

It feels as though there are some pieces missing here. I don't need them to explain it all but it felt like there should have been a little bit more explained or at least alluded to.

This is a good but not great episode. It is a great episode for Troi but given how she usually just plays a supporting part there isn't much to judge it against in that department.